1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly to an improved mounting frame combination structure of an LCD device for obtaining a thin profile of the LCD device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A cathode ray tube (CRT), one type of display device, has been widely used for television monitors, measurement instruments and information terminals. However, the CRT has limitations to miniaturization and lightness in weight. With the trend of miniaturization and lightness in electronic machines, display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device using an electro-optics effect, a plasma display panel (PDP) using a gas discharge and an electro luminescence display (ELD) device using an electro-luminescence effect have been actively studied, and which can substitute for the CRT.
Among the display devices, the LCD device is most actively studied in that the LCD device realizes excellent picture quality, low power consumption and low heat emission as compared with those of the CRT. Herein, the LCD device includes main components such as a liquid crystal module (hereinafter, referred to as an “LCM”) and a mounting frame. The LCM, a flat display device, has a backlight and an LCD panel. The LCM is combined with the mounting frame, and then is mounted on a monitor.
Hereinafter, a mounting frame combination structure of an LCD device according to the related art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This structure can be utilized to mount other types of flat panel displays, such as plasma panels and electro-luminescent panels. In this disclosure, the term LCD is considered to encompass any flat panel display type.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one example of a mounting frame combination structure in an LCD device according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, an LCM 1 includes an LCD panel 25, and a backlight 20 provided below the LCD panel 25. The backlight 20 includes a plurality of optical sheets 21, a reflecting plate 22 and a light-guiding plate 23. Also, the backlight 20 and the LCD panel 25 are supported by a main support 2 having an empty space for accommodating the backlight 20 and the LCD panel 25 therein.
A sash 3 is provided at an upper portion of the support main 2, for retaining the LCD panel 25 and the main support 2, from a front side. Also, a bottom cover 4 is provided at a lower portion of the main support 2, thereby retaining the reflecting plate 22 and the light-guiding plate 23 from a rear side. The main support 2 is generally formed of a plastic material, and the bottom cover 4 is generally formed of a metal material such as aluminum, having greater thermal conductivity than that of the plastic material. A mounting frame 5 is provided at a rear portion of the LCM 1, for mounting the LCM 1 on a monitor housing (not shown). The mounting frame 5 is combined with the LCM 1 by a screw 6.
More specifically, holes are formed for penetrating a side portion 5a of the mounting frame 5, the sash 3 and the bottom cover 4. Thus, after attaching the side portion 5a to an outer surface of the sash 3, the mounting frame 5 is combined with the sash 3 and the bottom cover 4 by the screw 6, engaging a thread formed in the hole in the bottom cover. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of a mounting frame combination structure of an LCD device according to the related art. Referring to FIG. 2, an LCM 1 includes an LCD panel 25 and a backlight 20, and the backlight 20 and the LCD panel 25 are supported by a main support 2 and a sash 3. Also, a mounting frame 5 is combined with a lower portion of the LCM 1, and the mounting frame 5 is combined with an outer surface of the sash 3 by a screw 6. Unlike the structure of FIG. 1, the screw 6 passes through a side portion of a main support 2, so that the mounting frame 5 is directly combined with the outer surface of the sash 3. In this case, the mounting frame 5 is directly combined with the main support 2, Thus, this method is generally used for structures requiring a thin profile in the depth direction.
However, the mounting frame combination structure of the LCD device according to the related art has the following disadvantages: in the mounting frame combination structure of the LCD device according to the related art, the side portion of the mounting frame is attached to the outer surface of the sash, whereby the width of the LCD device is increased by the thickness of the side portion of the mounting frame. Especially, with recent trend to a large-sized display screen while minimizing a housing width or a case width, the related art mounting frame combination structure has problems in that it is hard to realize the desired profile.